Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 58 – Account 62
The Martyrdome of William Seaman, Thomas Carman, and Thomas Hudson, put to death by the persecuting papists at Norwich in the county of Norfolke.
May. 19. The story and Martyrdome of W. Seaman, Tho. Carman, and Thomas Hudson.IMmediately after William Nicoll succeeded in that honourable and glorious vocation of Martyrdome three constaunt godly menne at Norwiche in Northfolk, who were cruelly and tyrannically put to death for the true testimony of Iesus Christ, the xix. of May. an. 1558. Whose names be these.
William Seaman.
Thomas Carman.
Thomas Hudson..
The sayde William Seaman was an Husbandman, of the age of xxvi. yeares,William Seaman. dwelling in Mendlesham in the county of Suffolke, who was sūdry sought for tymes by ye commandement of Sir Iohn Tirrell knight, & at laste he himselfe in the night searched his house and other places for him:Syr Iohn Tyrrell Knight. notwithstanding hee somewhat mist of his purpose, God be thanked. Then he gaue charge to hys Seruauntes, Robert Baulding, and Iames Clarke wyth others,Robert Baulding. to seek for him. Who hauing no officer, went in the euening to hys house, where he being at home, they took him and caryed him to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tirrell. This Baulding being Seamans nighe neighbour, and whome the sayde Seaman greatly trusted as a speciall friend,Iames Clarke, persecutours. notwithstanding to doe hys Mayster a pleasure, now became enemy to hys chiefe friend, and was one of the busiest in the taking of him. Now as they were goyng to cary hym to theyr Mayster Syr Iohn Tyrrell in the night, it is credibly reported that there fell a lyghte betweene them out of the element and parted them. Thys Baulding being in company with the rest when the light fell,A light out of the element. and albeit he was then in hys best age, yet after ye time neuer enioyed good daye, but pyned away euen vntounto the death.
Well, for all that straunge sight (as I sayd) they caried him to theyr Mayster.Gods punishment vponupon a persecutour. Who when he came, asked him why he would not goe to Masse, and to receaue the sacrament and so to worship it? Unto which William Seaman aunswered, denying it to bee a sacrament, but sayde it was an Idoll,Seamā brought to Bishop Hopton, and by him condemned. Seamans wyfe and his three young children, were persecuted also by Syr Iohn Tyrrell. and therefore would not receaue it. After whiche wordes spoken, sir Iohn Tirrel shortly sent hym to Norwiche to Hopton then Bishop, and there after conference and examination had with him, the bishop read his bloudy sentence of condemnation agaynst him: and afterward deliuered him to the secular power, who kepte him vntounto the day of Martyrdome.
This sayd William Seaman left behynde him when he dyed, a wife, and three children very young: and wyth the sayd young children, hys wife was persecuted oute of the sayde towne also of Mendlesham, because that shee would not go to heare Masse, and all her corne and goods seased, and taken awaye by Mayster Christopher Coles officers, he being Lorde of the sayd towne.
Thomas Carman (who as is sayd, pledged Richarde Crashfield at hys burning,Thomas Carman Martyr. and thereupon was apprehended) being prisoner in Norwiche, was about one time wyth the rest examined and brought before the sayde Byshop, who aunswered no lesse in his Maysters cause, then the other, and therfore had the like rewarde, that the other had,Carman condemned. which was the Byshops bloudy blessing of condemnation, and deliuered also to the Seculare power, who kept him with the other, vntill the day of slaughter, which hasted on, and was not long after.
Thomas Hudson was of Ailesham in Norfolke, by his occupation a Glouer,Thomas Hudsō, Martyr. a very honest poore manne, hauing a wife, and three children, and laboured alwayes truly and dilligently in hys vocation, being of thirtye yeares of age, and bearing so good a will to the Gospell, that he in the dayes of king Edward the 6. two yeares before Q. Maryes raygne, learned to read Englishe of Anthony & Thomas Norgate of the same Towne, wherin he greatly profited about the tyme of alteration of Religion.Hudson learneth to reade Englishe. For when Queene Mary came to raygne, and had chaunged ye seruice in the Churche, putting in for wheate draffe, and darnill, and for good preaching blasphemous crying out agaynst truthe, and godlinesse, he then auoyding all theyr ceremonies of superstition,Hudson flyeth from Papistry. absented hymselfe from hys house and went into Suffolkl a longe tyme, and there remayned trauelling from one place to an other, as occasion was offered. At the last, hee returned backe agayne to Northfolke to his house at A…lesham, to comfort his wyfe and children, being heauy, and troubled with hys absence.
Nowe when he came home, and perceiued hys contynuance there would be daungerous, he and hys wife deuised to make hym a place among hys fagottes, to hide him selfe in, where he remayned all the day (in steede of hys chamber) reading and praying continually, for the space of halfe a yeare, and his wife lyke an honest woman being carefull for hym, vsed her selfe faythfullye, and dillygently towards him.
In the meane time came the Uicare of the Town, named Berry (who was one of the Byshoppes Commissaries,Berry the Commissary, a persecutour. a very euill manne) and inquired of this sayd Thomas Hudsons wife, for her husband. Unto whom he answered, as not knowing where hee was. Then the sayde Berry rated her, and threatned to burne her for that shee would not bewraye her husbande where hee was. After that, when Hudson vnderstoode it, hee waxed euerye day more zelous then other,Hudson waxeth bolde in the truth. and continually read & sange Psalmes, to the wonder of many, the people openlye resorting to him, to heare hys exhortations, and vehement prayers.
At the last he walked abroad for certayne dayes, openly in the Towne, crying out continually agaynst ye Masse and all theyr trumpery, and in the ende, commyng home in hys house, he sate him downe vponupon hys knees, hauyng his book by hym, reading and singing Psalmes continually without ceassing, for three dayes and three nightes together, refusing meate and other talke, to the great wonder of many.
Then one Iohn Crouch his next neighbour, went to the Constables Robert Marsham, and Robert Lawes in the night, to certifie them thereof:Iohn Crouch bewrayeth Thomas Hudson to the Constables. for Berry commanded openly to watche for hym, and the Constables vnderstanding the same, went cruelly to catche hym in the breake of the day, the xxii. of the monethmonth of Aprill. Anno. 1558.
Now when Hudson saw them come in, he sayd: Now myne houre is come. Welcome frendes welcome. You bee they that shall leade me to lyfe in Christ,The taking of Thomas Hudson. I thanke GOD therefore, and the Lorde enhable me thereto for hys mercyes sake. For his desire was, and euer he prayed (if it wer the Lordes will) that hee might suffer for the Gospell of Christ. Then they tooke him,Talke betweene Berry and Hudson. and lead him to Berry the Commissarye, whiche was Uicar of the towne, and the sayde Berrye asked him first: where hee kepte hys Church for foure yeares before. To the whiche the sayde Hudson answered thus, where so euer he was, there was the church.
Doest thou not beleue, sayth Berry, in the sacramente of the aultar? What is it?
Hudson.
It is wormes meate: my beliefe (saythe hee) is in Christ crucified.Sacrament of the Aultar.
Berry.
Doest thou not beleeue the Masse to putte awaye sinnes?
Hudson.
No, God forbidde: it is a patched monstre, and a disguised Puppet,The Masse. more longer a peecing then euer was Salomons Temple. At whiche wordes Berry stamped, fumed, and shewed himself as a mad man, and sayd: well thou villayn, thou: I wil write to the B. my good Lord, and trust vntounto it, thou shalt be handled according to thy desertes. Oh sir, sayde Hudson: there is no Lorde but God, though there be many Lordes and many Gods. With that Berry thrust hym backe with hys hand. And one Richard Cliffar standing by, sayde: I pray you sir,Richard Cliffar. bee good to the poore man. At which wordes Berry was more mad then before, and woulde hauehave had Cliffer bound in a recognysaunce of 40. poundes for hys good abearyng, bothe in worde and deede: whiche his desire tooke no effecte. Then he asked the sayd Hudson whether he would recant or no. Unto whiche wordes Hudson sayde: the Lorde forbid: I had rather dye many deathes, then to do so.
Then after long talke, the sayde Berry seeing it booted not to perswade with him, tooke hys penne and inke, and wrote letters to the Bishop thereof, and sent this Hudson to Norwiche bound like a theefe to him, whiche was 8. miles from thence, who with ioy and singing chere wēt thether, as mery as euer he were at anye tyme before. In prison he was a month where hee dyd continually read & inuocate the name of God.
These three Christians and constaunt Martyrs,Seaman, Carman, and Hudsō, condemned at Norwiche. William Seaman, Thomas Carman, and Thomas Hudson after they were (as ye hauehave heard) condemned, the xix. day of May. 1558. were caryed out of prison to the place where they should suffer, whyche was without Byshoppes gate at Norwich, called Lollards Pit. And being al there, they made their humble prayers vntounto the Lorde. That beyng done, they rose and went to the stake, and standing al ther with their chaynes about them, immediately this sayde Thomas Hudson commeth foorth from them vnderunder the Chayne,Thomas Hudson commeth …om vnderunder the chayne to praye. to the great wonder of many: whereby diuers feared and greatly doubted of hym. For some thought hee would hauehave recanted: other iudged rather that he went to aske a further day, and to desire conference, and some thought he came forth to aske some of hys parentes blessing. So some thought one thinge and some an other: but hys two companions at the stake cryed out to him to comforte him what they coulde, exhorting him in the bowelles of Christ to be of good cheare.… to hauehave the … of Christ. &c. But this sweete Hudson, felt more in hys heart, and conscience, then they could conceaue in him. For (alas good soule) hee was compassed (God knoweth) with great dolour and griefe of minde, not for hys death, but for lacke of feeling of his Christ, and therefore beyng verye carefull he humbly fell downe vppon his knees,Hudson … of his …. and prayed vehemently and earnestly vntounto the Lord, who at the last according to hys olde mercies sent him comfort, and thē rose he with great ioy, as a man new chaunged euen from death to life, and sayd:
Now I thanke God I am strong, and passe not what man can do vntounto me. So going to ye stake to his fellowes agayne, in the end they all suffered most ioyfully, constātly, and manfully the deathe together, and were consumed in fire, to the terror of the wicked, the comforte of Gods Children, and the magnifiyng of the Lordes name, who be praysed therfore, for euer, Amen.
Three godly Martyrs burned at Norwich.
The Martyrdome of William Seaman, Thomas Carman, & Thomas Hudson, at Norwiche. Anno 1558. Maye. 19.After this, the forenamed Commissarye Berry made great stirre about other which were suspected within the sayd towne of Aylsham, and caused two hundred to creep to the crosse at Penticost, besides other punishmentes which they sustayned.
Berry stripeth a pore man wher…pon he dyed.On a tyme this Berry gaue a poore man of his parish of Marsham, a blowe with the swingell of a flayle, for a worde speaking, that presently thereon he dyed, and the sayd Berry (as is sayd) held vpp his hande at the Barre therefore.
Berry stri…eth a pore w…man whereupon … dyed.Then, after that in his parishe of Aylesham also, ann. 1557. there was one Alice Oxes came to his house, and going into the Hall, hee meeting her (being before moued) smote her with his fist, whereby shee was fayne to be caryed home, and the next day was founde dead in her chamber.
To write how many concubines and whores he had, none would beleue it, but such as knew him in the countrey he dwelt in. He was riche and of great authoritie, a great s…earer, altogether geuen to women, and persecuting the Gospell, and compelling men to idolatry.
Iohn Norgate a Confessour.One Iohn Norgate a man learned, godly, and zelous who would not goe to their trashe, but rather dye, being sore hunted by the sayd Berry, prayed hartely to God, and the Lorde shortly after in a consumption deliuered hym. Notwithstanding, the rage of this wicked manne waxed more fiercer and fiercer. Hee troubled sundry men,The rage of Berry. burnt all good bookes that he could get, and diuorsed many men and women for religion.
When he heard say that Queene Mary was dead,Berry maketh a feast, whereat is one of his Concubines. and the glory of theyr triumph quayled, the sonday alter, being the xix. of Nouember. an. 1558. he made a great feast, & had one of hys concubines there, with whome he was in his chamber after dinner vntill Euensong. Then went he to Church, where hee had ministred Baptisme, and in going from Church homeward, after euensong, betwene the churchyard and his house,Gods punishment, and terrible end of Berry. being but a little space (as it were a churchyarde bredth asunder) he fell downe sodainly to the ground with a heauy grone, and neuer stirred after, neyther shewed any one token of repentaunce. Thys hapned his neighbors being by to the example of al other The Lord graunt we may obserue his iudgementes.Berryes goodes consumeth as wax agaynst the fire. And those that had his great riches, since his death hauehave so consumed with them, that they be poorer now then they were before they had his goodes, such iudgement hath the Lord executed to the eyes of all men.
At that tyme one Dunning, Chauncellor of Lincolne (which in some part of Queene Maryes dayes was Chā cellor of Norwiche,Gods punishment vpō Dunning Chauncellour of Norwiche. and a very mercilesse tyrant as liued) died in Lincolnshyre of as sodayne a warning, as the sayd Berry dyed.
Thus hauehave I shewed thee (good reader) the constancie, boldnes, and glorious victory of these happy Martyrs as also the tyrannicall cruelty of that vnfortunate Commissary, and his terrible end. The Lorde graunt wee may all effectually honour the iudgementes of God, and feare to displease his holy Maiesty, Amen.
The persecution of mother Seman.
ABout this tyme, or somewhat before, was one Ioane Seman, mother to the foresayd William Seman,Iane Seaman also persecuted by Syr Iohn Tyrrell. being of the age of 66. yeares, persecuted of the sayde Syr Iohn Tyrrell also out of the towne of Mendlesham aforesayd, because she would not goe to masse, and receyue agaynst her conscience. Which good old woman being frō her house, was glad sometime to lye in bushes, groues, & fieldes, and sometyme in her neighhors house, when shee could. And her husband beyng at home, about the age of 80. yeares, fell sicke: and she hearing thereof, with speede returned home to her house agayn,The duety of a good wyfe. not regarding her life but considering her duetie, and shewed her dilligence to her husband most faythfully, vntill God tooke him awaye by death. Then by Gods prouidence she fell sicke also, and departed this lyfe within her owne house shortly after. And when one M. Simondes the Commissarye heard of it, dwelling thereby in a towne called Thorndon, he commaunded straitely that she shuld be buryed in no Christian buriall (as they call it) where through her frendes wer compelled to lay her in a pit vnderunder a motes side.Simondes the Commissarye, would not let mother Seaman be buryed in the Churchyearde. Her husband and she kept a good house, and had a good report amongest theyr neighbours, willing alwayes to receiue straungers, and to comfort the poore and sicke, and lyued together in the holy estate of Matrimony very honestly aboue forty yeares, and shee departed thys life willingly & ioyfully, with a steadfast fayth and a good remembraunce of Gods promise in Christ Iesus.
The persecution of mother Benet.
IN the sayde time of Queene Mary, there dwelte in the towne of Wetherset by Mendlesham aforesayde,Mother Benet a Confessour. a very honest woman called mother Bennet, a widowe whiche was persecuted out of the same towne because she woulde not goe to masse and other theyr beggarly ceremonyes: but at rhe last shee returned home agayne secretly to her house, and there departed this lyfe ioyfully. But Syr I. Tyrrell & M. Simondes the Commissary,Syr Iohn Tyrrell and Maister Simondes would not suffer mother Bennet, to be buryed in the Churchyearde. would not let her be buryed in the Churchyarde. So was she layde in a graue by the high way side.
The same good old woman mother Benet, in ye tyme of persecution, met one of the sayd mother Semans neighbours, and asked her how the sayd mother Seman did, & she aunswered that she did very wel, God be thanked. Oh (sayd she) mother Seman hath slept a great sleepe before me: for she was neuer couetous that I could perceiue. Her husband in his mirth would say vntounto her: O woman if thou were sparing,The charitable almoses of mother Seaman, to be noted. thou mightest hauehave saued me an C. markes more then thou hast. To the whiche shee woulde aunswere agayne gently and saye: O man be content, and let vsus be thankefull, for God hath geuen vsus enough if we can see it. Alas good husband would shee saye, I tell you truth, I cannot …irken vp my butter, and keep my cheese in the chamber, and wayte a great price, and let the poore want, and so displease God. But Husband, let vsus be riche in good workes: so shal we please the Lord, & hauehave al good thinges geuen vsus.Iune. &c. This good w…man of that vice of couetousnesse (of all that knew her) was iudged least to be spotted, of any infirmitie she had. The Lord roote it out of the hartes of them that be infected therwith, Amen.
¶The Martyrdome of three constant and godly persons burnt at Colchester for the defence and testimony of Christes Gospell.
THou hast heard (good Reader) of the forenamed three that were burnt at Norwich,Maye. 26. Two men and one woman Martyrs. whose bloud quenched not the persecuting thurst of the Papistes. For immedyately after, euen the same month, vponupon the xxvi. day was seene the like murther also at Colchester in Essex of two men and a woman, lying there in prison, appoynted ready to the slaughter: who were brought forth the sayde daye vntounto a place prepared for them to suffer, and accordinglye gaue theyr liues for the testimonye of the trueth, whose names likewise hereafter followeth.
William Harryes.
Richard Day.
Martyrs.Christian George.
These three good soules were brought vntounto the stake and there ioyfully and feruently had made theyr prayers vntounto the Lord.The Martyrdom of William Harries, Richard Day, and Christian George, at Colchester. At the last being setled in theyr places, and chayned vntounto theyr postes, with ye fire flaming fiercely round about them, they like constaunt Christians triumphātly praysed God within the same, and offered vp their bodyes a liuely sacrifice vntounto his holy Maiestie: in whose habitation they hauehave now theyr euerlasting tabernacles: his name therfore be praysed for euermore. Amen.
The sayd Christian Georges Husbande, had an other wife burnt before this Christian, whose name was Agnes George, which suffered (as you hauehave heard) with the thirteene at Stratford the Bow. And after the death of the sayde Christian, hee maryed an honest Godly woman agayne, and so they both, I meane ye sayd Richard George and his last wife) in the end were taken also, and layde in prison,Richard George and his wyfe prisoners, deliuered by Quene Elizabeth. where they remayned til ye death of Queene Mary and at the last were deliuered by our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, whom the Lorde graunt long to raygne among vsus, for hys mercies sake, Amen.
In the month of Iune came out a certayne proclamation, short but sharpe, from the king and the Queene agaynst wholesome and godly bookes, which vnderunder ye false title of heresie and sedition, here in the sayd Proclamation were wrongfully condemned.
By the king and Queene.
WHereas diuers bookes, filled both with heresie, sedition, and treason, hauehave of late, and be dayly brought into thys Realme,A Proclamation by the King and Queene. out of forreine countryes and places beyonde the seas, and some also couertly printed within this Realme, and cast abroad in sundry partes thereof, whereby not onelyonly God is dishonored, but also an encouragemēt geuen to disobey lawfull princes and gouernours: The king and Queenes maiesties, for redres hereof, doth by this theyr present Proclamation, declare & publish to all theyr subiectes, that whosoeuer shall after the proclayming hereof, be found to hauehave any of the sayde wicked and seditious bookes, or finding them, do not forthwith burne the same without shewing or reading the same to any other person, shall in that case be reputed and taken for a rebell, and shall wythout delay bee executed for that offence according to the order of Martiall law.
Geuen at our Manor of S. Iameses, the sixt daye of Iune. Iohn Cawood Printer